Posts Tagged ‘ANDSF’

Mobile data traffic continues to grow, but evidence shows that the rate of growth has slowed in recent years, principally as a result of Wi-Fi offload. This could become one of the biggest challenges facing the mobile industry. But, if managed in the right way, MNOs can transform this challenge into a proactive strategy that derives multiple benefits for both themselves and their subscribers.

Instead of passive disengagement, MNOs can become actively involved with Wi-Fi offload so that they can maximise the benefits to them and to their customers. Indeed, proactive Wi-Fi offload strategies can create additional economic and strategic benefits for all parties.

Wi-Fi has a clear role to play as part of a heterogeneous approach to network coverage. Such an approach not only includes Wi-Fi offload as an option for users, but also encompasses use of Wi-Fi Access Points (APs) to increase coverage more generally within cells.

What is needed to enable Wi-Fi to fulfil this role is an approach that combines the benefits of both Hotspot 2.0 and ANDSF solutions, but which also incorporates smart devices and enables these to become an active element in the network selection, handover and roaming process. Such an approach would recognise the fundamental need to make user experience central to access network selection.

The solution to this challenge is two-fold, and puts the point of control directly onto the device. First, decomposing the ANDSF allows a client to be deployed on the smart mobile device to locally manage access network selection in co-ordination with defined network policies. Second, the client should also be able to act as a Policy and Charging Enforcement Function to maintain and manage policies in response to locally monitored conditions and requirements, in turn acting as a local Policy Enforcement Point (PEP) on devices.

Wi-Fi offload is both a necessity for MNOs and a positive boon for subscribers. The work of the Wi-Fi Alliance and 3GPP has produced solutions that enable network selection to be automated and seamless with respect to users. MNOs can deploy this solution to facilitate network selection and immediately derive a range of economic and strategic benefits.

By deploying key elements (ANDSF and PCEF) on smart mobile devices, the user quality of experience can also be taken into account, enabling, in time, richer service delivery and a wider range of options for MNOs and hotspot providers alike. Wi-Fi offload should be a strategic element of MNO planning: the distributed ANDSF and PCEF solution from GoS Networks ensures that this strategic role can be fully captured and monetised with clear and identifiable benefits for all stakeholders.

There’s been a spate of news recently about the increasing importance of Policy on the Device (PoD) solutions. Operators are becoming aware that, in order to effectively deliver end-to-end policies and QoS, they have to extend policy monitoring and control capabilities to smart devices.

Just a couple of years ago, PoD was a relatively unknown area, in which pioneers such as GoS Networks were innovating advanced solutions that enhance the user experience, optimise service delivery and reduce operator costs.

Today, as Cassio Sampaio of Bell Canada noted, speaking ahead of this year’s Broadband Traffic Management Event, “Policy on the device will continue to gain traction and perhaps move past the “shiny demo” stage we are currently in. There is a clear space for an increase in the level of self-serve features to be provided to subscribers driving direct cost savings and potentially creating other revenue opportunities”.

We agree. PoD can solve both specific challenges – end-to-end service assurance, RAN optimisation as well as delivering side effects such as enhanced device battery life – but it can also provide a platform for a wide range of new services and capabilities.

This is an interesting time for the evolving policy segment. We’ve had policy 1.0, 2.0 and we think the next phase is coming. Once PoD solutions are widely deployed, they will enable and unlock new services that cannot currently be created or delivered. That’s why it’s so exciting. Operators need to think strategically – using short-term benefits that can be delivered today to enable a richer set of opportunities in the future.

Little wonder, then, that PoD is starting to attract such attention. Why not talk to us and find out how you can benefit today from innovative PoD solutions – and build a framework to enable future innovation? Or, check out the Yankee Group report on the subject by following this link.

A recent report from Juniper Research has identified significant opportunities in the growing mobile video and TV market. However, it also identifies major challenges, particularly for mobile operators. According to the research, MNOs “will face continued pressure on their network capacity whilst at the same time striving to attract revenue from video and TV usage”.

As the authors note, “some operators are able to leverage this opportunity through Wi-Fi offload and the services that they already offer via their triple-play bundles”. However, “other [MNOs] need to innovate and adjust their business models to the burgeoning OTT opportunity”.

In order to meet these challenges, there are two clear requirements. First, MNOs need to be able to manage offload to Wi-Fi networks in order to efficiently manage network resources and to meet consumer expectations of video playback and streaming quality. Secondly, MNOs must integrate offload and service assurance solutions into price plans and charging methods.

To efficiently meet the first requirement, MNOs should deploy ANDSF solutions that enable automatic network selection. But, they need to go further and extend ANDSF functionality directly to smart devices so that network selection can be optimised to the specific requirements of individual users. By distributing the ANDSF into smart devices, MNOs can more enable a richer user experience by selecting the optimum access network for specific applications.

Doing so will also enable MNOs to more effectively meet the second requirement. The distributed ANDSF can be fully integrated with the overall network policy architecture, enabling MNOs to manage and monetise consumption. With ANDSF enabled on smart devices, MNOs can implement policies that enable content to be delivered according to the network conditions and price plan of individual customers.

For example with the distributed ANDSF / PCEF solution from GoS Networks, they can automatically switch to the best available connection in real-time depending on the application. This means that they can immediately enhance or maintain the experience for those customers with premium plans or offer real-time upgrade options for those with data caps or basic packages. While MNOs may not necessarily offer content directly, with a distributed ANDSF solution, they can offer value to their customers and generate revenue from increased video and TV consumption.